


Stronger than You

by WetRoadsNHornyToads



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fanart, Friendship, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Hiraishin, Other, Smart Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WetRoadsNHornyToads/pseuds/WetRoadsNHornyToads
Summary: “Promise you’ll never leave me.” The woman met his eyes with her own, smiling softly as she nodded. “I promise.” Frowning, the boy held out his hand. “Pinky promise?” Anko laughed, a small pleasant sound tinkling through the air like chimes in the wind. Extending a delicate finger she nodded solemnly. “Pinky promise.” SLOW BURN FIC. EVENTUAL HIRAISHIN! AND FUINJUTSU! NARUTO.
Relationships: Inuzuka Kiba/Uzumaki Naruto, Mitarashi Anko/Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikaku/Uzumaki Naruto, Sarutobi Hiruzen & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Stronger than You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys Horny Toad here! First things first, check out the Chapter 1 Art and the Cover Art I've drawn to help you visualize what you're reading! (My Bio has the details on where you can find it.) There will usually be Chapter Art for every chapter posted.  
> And secondly, there are an unhealthy amount of Naruto Fanfics where the villagers abuse Naruto and treat him like trash. While I don't have an innate dislike for these types of fics, oftentimes the villagers are merely inanimate vessels of hate for the author to beat our favorite whiskered blonde with. Which in my opinion, isn't good writing and isn't fair to the villagers. The villagers were simply grieving souls, misguided by their hate for the Kyuubi and their sorrow for the loved ones they lost during the Kyuubi attack. They weren't roiling broiling rage machines hellbent on being total dicks to Naruto like most other authors depict them as. Does this mean I'm justifying their actions? No, it's just I haven't read a single fic where the author gives some insight into the perspective of the villagers or where the author really attempts to give them a proper reason for their actions.  
> Another problem with these types of fics is that Naruto's personality usually isn't affected by the abuse at all, which Number 1: Isn't a realistic or sane human reaction to abuse and Number 2: Kind of makes the abuse pointless. I mean, why write it if it serves no purpose to the plot.  
> So with that being said, I've decided to write my own Fanfiction with the goal of giving the villagers the just and realistic characterization they need, as well as proper character development for a child dealing with an entire village's worth of hate. Let's get right into it with the villagers' perspectives!  
> I don't own Naruto. Duh.

At a first glance the child certainly _seemed_ human.

With it's sunkissed hair and innocent bright blue eyes, it definitely _looked_ the part.

It walked like a normal child and talked like a normal child. The little bastard even cried like a normal child.

But the villagers knew better, oh yes they most certainly knew better. The monster's sunny disposition and innocent guise couldn't fool them.

They'd already seen what it could do, experienced the bloodlust and tasted the vile concoction of it's hate. They knew what lurked just beneath it's cerulean eyes, the malevolence it possessed, poorly masked by a facade of childlike curiosity.

They saw his pale skin and remembered the matted fur of the sinister beast. And when they looked at the little demon's whiskered face, the villagers could smell the acrid smoke, hear the terrified screams and feel the iron tang of blood coating their lips that terrible night; The night the Kyuubi attacked.

If not for the Yondaime's courageous sacrifice, all would have been lost that fateful night. Everyone, Shinobi and civilians alike, could remember Namikaze Minato's striking figure cutting through the haze and destruction. His ocean blue eyes flickering with determination and courage as his soothing chakra flared; A beacon of hope in the crimson ocean of the Kyuubi's hate.

The Namikaze seemed like he was everywhere at once and with his signature Flying Thunder God jutsu, he very well could have been.

Minato carried stray civilians to the evacuation shelters, teleported falling debris away from Konoha's Shinobi forces and inspired them to stand and fight, when before, they cowered in fear. His very presence seemed to melt away the Nine Tails' aura of terror and bloodlust, replacing it with his own warm and welcoming chakra.

And when it was clear the beast was winning, when it was clear Konoha had fallen… the Yondaime stood strong. He stared down the Kyuubi, fighting it to a standstill before sacrificing his own life for the sake of the village, sealing the demon's fearsome power away from the world. The beloved Yondaime was truly all a Hokage should have been and more.

Konoha had lost many good shinobi and countless innocent civilians that night. Homes had been destroyed, families torn apart and lives ruined.

Yet, the Kyuubi remained. Weakened and debilitated from the Yondaime's final stand perhaps, but nevertheless, it's existence continued to plague the village.

The Kyuubi had been sealed into a new form and even then the demon bastard made a mockery of the Namikaze's final act. It dared to don his appearance… it had the nerve to wear the Yondaime's blonde hair and blue eyes like some sick and twisted victory trophy.

Namikaze Minato's most recognizable and coveted features had been corrupted into a symbol of hatred. The demon's very existence defiled the Yondaime's memory. What sickened the villagers the most however, was the Sandaimes inexplicable soft spot for the little demon.

The foolish old man accepted it into the village, offering it protection, food and care and forbidding the villagers from harming the bastard. The senile monkey even went as far as to give it a name; Uzumaki Naruto. The object of their hate. Every cursed day the villagers could see the sadistic amusement twinkling in the childlike demon's eyes. It mocked them, dared them to do something, anything… and it knew, they were powerless to do so.

And so the villagers waged their own war upon the demon, hidden from the Sandaime's prying eyes. They struck back in any way they could, overcharging it's groceries, selling expired food, and calling it names. The villagers reveled in their small victories, savoring the bastard's discomfort.

And who could blame them? It was, after all, just a demon…

-o0oO0Oo0o-

The cool night air caressed his pale skin, soothing the bitter taste of loneliness as the murky shadows murmured sweet nothings into his ears.

Nightfall was the best time for Uzumaki Naruto. He felt safe within the inky blackness, secure from the daily torment brought upon him. No one could see the ugly whiskers marring his appearance, shrouded as they were within the night's cool embrace. The boy raised a bony hand to his face, tracing the dark lines etched upon his cheeks.

How he hated those cursed whisker marks. The way they pronounced him as different and "Dangerous" as the villagers called him. The way they isolated him from the other children.

Every glance in the mirror was a reminder of his loneliness. If only he could cut away those distinctive lines and just be normal. But no matter how many times he scratched and tore at his cheeks, no matter how much blood stained the bathroom floor and crusted under his fingernails… the marks would return.

The sickly warm fluids painting his face red would slowly seep back into his flesh, the tears and gouges on his visage knitting themselves back together as the hated whiskers reformed mockingly. They taunted Naruto, condemning his miserable life. When it all became too much, when he couldn't bear it for another moment, Naruto just wished everything would disappear.

That the ground would swallow the bitter villagers and their taunting jeers and their spiteful words and their wrathful faces and those damn hate filled glares.

Or better yet, Naruto wished he would disappear, slowly fading away into the cool abyss… away from his lonely existence.

_Why me?_ He thought. _What did I ever do to deserve this?_

During the day he saw how the villagers' gazes would linger upon his whisker marks, how their eyes would narrow and their teeth would clench.

His sensitive ears could hear the hateful mutterings and curses thrown his way, the spiteful words buzzing around him and stinging his tiny frame like vengeful insects. The only reprieve Naruto had was the Sandaime's occasional visits. They were breaths of fresh air to the attention starved child and the kindly old man would bring sweets and toys to sate the boy's childish desires, but Naruto enjoyed his presence for a different reason.

He clung to Hiruzen's sparse warmth like a drowning man. Basking in the Hokage's affection and attention, the child felt wanted, loved even. Hiruzen's tranquil presence melted away the village's hate and halted their torment. But his visits were few and far in between, only growing further and further apart as time went on. And when Hiruzen took his leave, the gnawing emptiness of isolation settled back into Naruto's stomach.

And so, Naruto turned to the soothing embrace of the night.

Enveloped within it's peaceful solace, no hateful gazes and calls of "Demon" or "Monster" were thrown his way. He was _free!_ Free to roam the deserted streets of Konoha to his heart's content, free to gaze wonderingly at the smattering of stars suspended in the sky and swing on the empty swings of the academy playground underneath their watchful gazes.

And at the very height of his swings, at the very peak of the arcing paths, Naruto could almost imagine he was among the stars.

The earth would fall away as he soared through the sky, chasing the pinpricks of light scattered across the heavens. He would laugh and frolic among the glimmering celestial orbs, giggling as the moon looked on loftily.

But no matter how high Naruto would swing, no matter how hard he closed his eyes and imagined himself soaring through the sky, free of his burdens... the earth would never relinquish it's hold. It's crushing tendrils writhed and grasped, determined to drag the poor boy back to reality as he desperately clawed up into the sky for freedom.

Naruto never could escape the earth’s clutches. Each and every night he would swing and swing and swing some more. He would swing until his legs ached and his fingers blistered. He would swing until his eyes watered and his joints creaked. And when he could swing no more... Naruto would collapse into the ground, staring longingly at the star speckled sky, hopelessly wishing for salvation.

Only tonight was not a night of stargazing or exploration, it was a night of necessity.

Naruto's stomach rumbled pityingly, pushing the persistent ache of hunger to the forefront of his mind as he scuttled through the filthy streets. This was perhaps the second month he had resorted to rummaging through the trash to curb the biting edge of his hunger.

The Hokage hadn't visited him in months, leaving the boy to wallow in his misery. With the older man's absence, his kindly warmth faded away, slowly dwindling against the onslaught of the villagers' scornful dispositions. And sure enough, the mailman who brought his weekly allowance hadn't shown up that morning, leaving the poor boy to starve.

Sometimes the man would disappear for weeks at a time, but he had never been gone for this long. Shaking his head to clear the troubling thoughts from his mind, Naruto stepped into the soft, flickering light of a hanging lantern before peering into the inky blackness of the alleyway before him.

He had always been able to see well in the dark, in fact the Sandaime often praised him for his heightened senses, exclaiming he would be an amazing shinobi when he grew up.

Unfortunately, the enhanced senses came with a price. Naruto flinched back as if he were scalded before retching pitifully as the fetid stench of the alley assaulted his nostrils. Nothing edible here, he thought. Barely restraining his heaving stomach, the small boy squeezed his watering eyes shut, fleeing back into the wavering light before— _Thud_.

Naruto crashed into a veritable wall of flesh, his vision going dark as his nose pressed against scratchy cloth, the revolting smell of body odor and alcohol invading his senses.

He briefly registered a confused grunt above him before he was booted aside.

"Oy! Watch where ya going brat!"

Naruto scrambled to his feet, shoes slipping on the slimy ground as he murmured a hasty apology. His gaze flitted nervously between the two men in front of him.

Eyes watering from the smell, Naruto held a trembling hand before his face as the pungent odor of alcohol poured off them, stinging his sensitive nose. The boy faced the ground, head swimming from the stench.

"Is that all you've gotta say boy!?" The drunkard seized his wrist and stared at him with foggy, inebriated eyes. His friend let out an exasperated huff.

"Kami Kaito, he's just a kid—" the friend hiccuped slightly "—just leave him alone man!" He turned unsteadily towards the street, humming tonelessly as the darkness slowly engulfed his disheveled appearance, but Kaito wasn't listening.

Instead, the man's hazy gaze focused on the child's filthy blonde hair, straining to see the figure before him within the flickering light. His eyes widened in recognition.

"Look at me brat." Kaito whispered frostily, his grip tightening painfully. Naruto's head spun nauseatingly as the man's alcohol laden breath wafted over him.

"P-please let me go!" Naruto bit out, his bones grinding together as white stars of pain floated across his vision.

"I _said_ look at me brat!" Kaito snarled, shaking Naruto's wrist violently.

The boy yelped and slowly raised his head to meet Kaito's gaze, grimy blonde tresses falling over dull blue eyes as tears cascaded down his whiskered cheeks. Kaito's hazy eyes fixated on the dark lines etched into the child's face.

"Y-you… it's you." Naruto's bones creaked and groaned as Kaito's gaze hardened.

"Because of you, my wife—" the man gulped slowly, a single tear pearling in the corner of his eye "—s-she … my daughter… I'll never see them again… " Kaito gave a desperate sob, his face contorting in fury as his voice rose hysterically.

" _I'll kill you! YOU HEAR ME?! **I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS**!_" A sharp snap rang throughout the silent street as something in Naruto's wrist gave way sickeningly. White hot spears of pain lanced up his arm and wavering black spots danced mockingly across his fading vision before an agonized gasp tore itself from Naruto's trembling lips.

He fell limp within the drunkard's grasp.

"Oy! Kaito what the hell are you—" The other man stopped, his eyes widening in fear as they traced the whiskers marring Naruto's sobbing face.

"I-it's him isn't it?" He swallowed timidly, eyes flitting between Naruto and the dancing shadows of the dark street.

"Come on Kaito! Let's get the _hell_ outta here before ANBU finds out!" His eyes widened in horror, voice cracking hysterically.

" _Oh Kami what if they already know?!_ " The man's face turned ashen and sweat beaded in his brow.

" _Do you know what they'll do to us man?! They'll tie us up and give us to Ibiki man! Oh Kami what are we gonna do—_ "

"— _SHUT THE **FUCK** UP_ _JIRO!_ " Kaito roared, pointing a finger at his friend accusingly.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten what this monster did?" His voice slurring as he threw Naruto to the filthy ground, heedless of the child's torturous cries.

"Have you forgotten what this thing did to your family Jiro?" Kaito grunted, burying his boot into Naruto's ribs "What it did to your wife, Mei?" Jiro stopped cold, his mouth gaping open and closed like a gasping fish.

His eyes flickered towards the child's terrified and pleading gaze before raking over the dark slashes etched into Naruto's cheeks. Jiro's eyes hardened, his face contorting in disgust and grief as he turned towards the street. His voice was emotionless and flat.

"Make it quick Kaito."

"Heh, don't have to tell me twice." Kaito chuckled bitterly, kicking aside a broken bottle before stepping towards the cowering child. The man's eyes glowed with glee, his face twisting in a grotesque expression of drunken joy.

"Why, why are you doing this?" Naruto cried out, cradling his flaccid wrist. Desperately scrabbling backwards against the filthy ground, he slipped against bits of trash littered across the moist pavement before his back slammed into the cool brick wall of the alleyway.

"Why am I doing this?" Kaito threw his head back and jagged shards of hysterical laughter cut through the air like broken glass. "You have the nerve to ask why you little _shit?_ " His gaze flashed dangerously as iridescent tears brimmed within the demented depths of his eyes.

"You don't remember my daughter _huh?_ You don't remember what you _did?"_ The man stepped forward, body towering over Naruto's form, his face twisting wrathfully as he reached a trembling hand towards the child.

"H-her name was Ruri" Kaito's misty eyes unfocused, his words coming out in choked bursts. "She wanted to be a florist… a-and _you_ —" the man's voice dropped to a murderous hiss as his gaze snapped back to Naruto, eyes smoldering with the flickering flames of fury "— _TOOK THAT FROM HER_!"

A calloused hand seized Naruto's tender wrist, grinding the broken remains of bone together as the man raised his fist.

" _YOU TOOK HER FROM **ME!"**_ A dull thwack echoed throughout the quiet street, quickly drowned out by Naruto's pained gasp as his head jerked back from the blow.

"Everyday I see her tiny body twisted and mangled underneath the wreckage" A small bubble of hysteria in the form of a manic giggle slipped past Kaito's lips, threatening to burst forth into deranged laughter. The man's dull gaze shattered as something seemed to break deep within the depths of his intoxicated mind.

"Everyday I see her blood on _my_ hands _AND YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU **DID** TO HER!?"_ Naruto clawed at the man's grip, desperately scrabbling for some sort of purchase on Kaito's iron grasp.

"Please!" he sobbed, "I don't know what you're talking about mister! I've never even met your daughter!—"

"—Hah!" Kaito finally burst into hysterical howls of laughter, his eyes bulging in perverse absurdity. "Is that how insignificant her life was to you!?" The man's head lolled grotesquely upon his neck as he guffawed, face twisting and contorting in a frightening display of insanity.

"She mattered so _little YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HER **FACE!?"**_ Kaito's deranged chuckles slowly died down before he slid a glinting knife from his pocket. The man grinned maniacally, raising the thin blade above his head.

"I guess I'll just have to jog your memory then _Demon_ —"

"—Wait! Please stop! I'll do anything!" Naruto's voice cracked in terror. Kaito paused, tilting his head in an almost comical expression of curiosity.

"Anything?" He whispered. The child nodded frantically, hope shining within the cerulean depths of his watery eyes. "Then perhaps—" Kaito's voice dropped sinisterly "—you could start with bringing back all the innocent people you've _slaughtered._ " He grinned morbidly, lips curling in sick hilarity.

"And since I know you can't do that—" Naruto faintly registered a sickly warmth streaming down his thighs as his eyes widened in abject terror. "—I'll just have to _settle for KILLING YOU!_ "

The knife arced downwards and Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, mouth open in a silent scream as he waited for the pain to blossom across his body. Please, _someone… ANYONE… **HELP ME!**_

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter! For some reason the chapter art isn’t showing up on AO3 so I guess you’ll have to go to Instagram or Twitter. I recommend Twitter cause Instagram messes with my resolution. Like I said before I tried to give the villagers a little more characterization then the usual blank slate most other Fanfictions have, so hopefully I've managed to do that. I also tried to explain why in God’s name the villagers didn’t recognize Naruto as Minato’s son. If anything wasn’t clear then please tell me and I’ll see what I can do to make it more understandable! Don’t hesitate to PM me if you have any comments, questions or concerns! Or you could put all those in a review if you prefer :P (Constructive Criticism is welcome and encouraged!) I will try, to the best of my ability, to respond to every message/review. Also, updates might be a little erratic cause I have to juggle between drawing Chapter Art and the actual writing so we'll see how that goes. Make sure you check that stuff out though! Thanks for reading guys!  
> \- Horny Toad


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